Wow - just wow. This is the most thoughtful and intelligent appreciation of Page's work I have ever heard. Just like you, I heard this music decades ago and it changed my life. I've been playing guitar for over 45 years, and Page is the reason I started playing, and he has influenced and informed all of my efforts to express myself on the guitar. All of your observations have exactly captured my feelings when I hear him play, I instinctively understand why it's so great, but I never heard someone else so elegantly explain it. And, by the way, you have really mastered the technique, tone, and feel in your playing, so congratulations on achieving such a high level of excellence in your career!
Thank you my friend! That’s such a generous response and I’m terribly gratified by it. But the fact that you identify so closely with it is the most rewarding aspect. Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts. Peace in abundance. Carl
I agree 100% with your comment. I’ve been playing over 30 years... since I saw the bow solo at midnight movies freshman year and realized my violin bows had a higher purpose than the violin I had been playing. I agree with Carl that it’s all about capturing the passion because Jimmy never played anything the same way twice anyway.
I agree 100%. JP and Zep have inspired me to TRY to play guitar for 40 years (and I still can’t do it 🙄😅). I’m a great critic and talent appreciation guy!
I know right! Still nothing approaches it. As the decades roll on (and another Ten Years Gone), I at least take solace in all the new things I hear in this music I've been Grocking for most of my life.
Wow, what an incredible video. Jimmy Page is my favorite guitarist and Led Zeppelin is my favorite band, hearing their debut album when I was a kid changed my life and made me want to play guitar. You're much more eloquent than myself and I enjoyed every second of this video, I really hope you make more Zeppelin and Page content. You've more than earned my subscription.
The same story as yours, older sister was playing Zeppelin 2 in her room very loudly and me in my room thinking what the hell is this, I'd never heard anything like it, even after all these years that solo still sounds so spontaneous and in the moment...sheer brilliance.....
The whole point of both the a cappella solo and the following solo is the use of “ light and shade”, dynamics , colors , feel and shape. Jimmy plays in colors and shapes. The first solo is a spontaneous note bending emotional angry “yell” as if Jimmy is saying something or responding. The 2nd solo is much “ neater” , flowing , very fast and playing with the band as if he was doing the opposite of the first solo. That’s dynamics. That’s how Jimmy and the band express themselves. Only a non musician would call it “sloppy” . And there are a lot of guitar players who don’t know how to “listen”.
Yeah 2 minutes in I subscribed. Always loved listening to people who know what they're talkin about. You're the teacher I've been looking for, thank you my man.
I’m so grateful for this comment. That’s my goal, to illuminate a piece of music at a molecular and philosophical level to bring a listener joyful, new discoveries.
This was the most articulate and insightful analysis I've ever seen of Heartbreaker and Jimmy Page's solo. In fact, it's the best analysis I've ever seen of any song. The work that is this analysis does justice to the work that is Heartbreaker. Thank you, Carl. I hope you'll keep producing more and more content on Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin. In particular, I'd love to see the video you reference about "Was Jimmy Page actually 'sloppy'?".
Hi Carl, can I get a tab arrangement of your heart breaker? I love that music too. I don't play that well but I just love it. Your brilliant! Thankyou so much.
Love your passion for Page, we’ve all been studying what he did for over 50 years, The stars aligned when Zeppelin came along and we’ll never see anything like it again, lightning in a bottle and Page was the driving force
Led Zeppelin hit a grand slam w this record...out of grade school into hi school. The stand alone pentatonic/ blues solo is always a surprise and your emotional/ artistic breakdown of it doesn't make it any less of a heartbreaker
I first heard Heartbreaker in 1969 or ‘70 as a freshman in high school. You summed it up perfectly.....my immediate reaction was the sound and imagery of a massive locomotive freight train roaring down the tracks. John Paul Jones fuzzed out bass lines pumping and pulsing the whole thing along leaving you breathless.
Paul Gilbert just posted a video comment about this solo and it was great. But I may say your playing here is clearly more accurate .and closer to Page's tone. than Paul"s.
That’s very kind. Paul Gilbert is such a super freak of nature. Just incredible facility. I can’t touch him in so many ways. I did see his heartbreaker post. It was rewarding to learn how his life as a guitar player went to the next level when someone showed him that part of the solo. The same think happened to me when I was a kid. I went to a pawn shop to buy my first electric guitar and I was longing to crack the code on the shred part of the solo. And as I was trying out guitars on the wall, I heard coming from behind me the solo shred lick being played. I turned around and saw this beautiful black dude shredding it and I just couldn’t believe my eyes and ears. And he showed me how to do that lick and my life changed on the spot. I went to the front of the store to pay for my new electric guitar and I asked the owner who the guy was in the back. And he said, “What guy, you’re the only one in the store…”. I ran back to get his name and he was gone. To this day I think it was an angel. I wanted it sooo bad that for a year I pleaded to God to help me figure out that lick. I’m not playing you, that’s a true story. Back to Paul Gilbert, I do actually agree that I nailed the phrasing, tone and color and really try to recreate and become one with Page. Paul sounded like Paul Gilbert. That’s a good thing though!! Thanks again for the comment! Peace, Carl
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic I think what’s really cool about Page and Zeppelin is that he and the band have inspired so many great musicians and phenomenal guitarists who’ve taken the instrument to incredible levels, and yet no one sounds exactly like Page, and Page always sounds like Page even when he played his stuff a different way every night. It’s kind of similar with Hendrix. Page and Hendrix (and VH too) played with such quirky individuality and personality they can’t be duplicated, yet you can hear the spirit of what’s being played by Paul Gilbert and Carl and other great players shining through. That’s rock DNA! That’s also why so many of us incompetent players and enthusiasts (referring to myself) love these bands; they play to your heart.
I'm so glad you added that F# on the D string and high D on the B string while playing a basic A chord on the 2nd fret at 15:00-15:01 because I've been playing that for years. I thought you misheard it OR like me played it SO many times it became normalized & you thought it was what you heard on the original recording(overdubs & imperfections notwithstanding, of course). Great examination/interpretation of a superb piece of music.
As you said so long ago: "I don't always understand what Ted's up to, but every time I see him he gets better". Well, I think you fully get it now brother! So great to see you hooking up here again with Ted, Al, and etc! TWO OF MY FAVORITE EUCLID ARTISTS BACK TOGETHER AGAIN...! (Now we need Steve Martin!!!)
Can I just say how perfectly you played this particular phrase 8:51, the fast stuff is incredible, but that was exactly as it is on the record. Sometimes getting the simpler aspects right makes the performance!
Brilliant! You have also absolutely nailed his guitar tone! I’ve been listening to Zeppelin for almost 40 years and I feel like you’ve made sense and articulated why I love Jimmy Page and his technique.
Page was ALL about emotion more so than technical perfection. Killer tone & analysis and your playing is fantastic! The second Heartbreaker solo is my favorite Zeppelin passage ever!
So at the age of 13 I moved from flat Dallas Texas to Anchorage Alaska because my dad took a job there. I remember driving in the mountains for the first time up in the clouds with my mind blown by the beauty of the mountains all while listening to Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti on my brothers 8 track in his 1965 Mustang. Those sites and sounds changed my life forever and I have been a guitar player and lover of Jimmy Page ever since. Great job with this video brother, you nailed Page from all angles.
Love all your Zep videos! I've been a Page fan since a kid. Jimmy's overall fluidity with double stops, open chords, creative voicings, target notes, slurring, scraping, bending... and loose attitude is unparalleled. It's true what you're getting at. He wasn't just playing by muscle memory. He was hearing it and then... playing it. To me, it's like he combined all of the 50's rock and blues icons in one giant canvas. (Oh... and then there was the Indian/Celtic palette). Just an unreal musician. Can't imagine how boring our lives would have been without him. Appreciate your work here. It's a delight to watch.
Very interesting. This guy has done a lot of studying of Page, and brings to light some aspect of Led Zeppelin's tunes that many people may not hear in the background until pointed out. Thanks for doing this video.
Brilliant! You always read comments about how sloppy this solo is but you explain it perfectly about how he's building and building the tension before something has to give. And when you take the lyrics into account, the recklessness in the solo makes perfect sense. "It's the way you call me by another guy's name when I try to make love to you"No way in the world does that call for a nice, cute, perfectly played solo! Jimmy brought out the frustration and angst that the storyteller was trying to get across.
He was a Master of Nuances. His Staccato variations, and accentuations, are so brilliantly woven in, the Live Improvisations He does are Blues/Rock Masterpieces. I have a similar story to yours, "older brother" I'm 58, so we got to see "Song Remains The Same". For Me it was stunning guitar work. Love this Song, Love Your Cover. YESSONGS
“Master of nuances!” Amen to that. You sooo get it!! I’m blown away by the subtleties of his expression and I dare say, his technique. He is the Renoir of guitar!
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic Yes, I've always said to the (Sloppy Page faction): think of it as Impressionism (Monet, Cezanne, Cassatt, Van Gogh, and maybe a little Cubism diced in (especially live).
You just met a friend of mine that pointed you in my direction. I'm extremely impressed and frankly mind blown by your views on music. I'm grateful Billy introduced me to you. And I've gotta say...your a gift to anyone that loves and wants to appreciate the history of music. Thanks
This is a wonderful explanation and lesson for The Zepp’s Heart breaker guitar work, which I like best out of all the Zepp songs ! This song’s guitar riff made me to decide to play guitar and get a Les Paul ! Thank you so much Carl ! I will keep practicing this guitar work!
Your intro reminds me of my experience way back in the late sixties when I was 3 years old when I saw a church band, I noticed their electric guitars and their orange amps. I fell in love with the electric guitar on that Memorial Day.
Shredders saying Page was sloppy is like a Zerox calling Van Gogh insane...... Great critical analysis on this. I focused on critiquing literature in school and developed an appreciation. So cool to see this applied to music I'm passionate about. Nice work, and not only fully agree, but I gained new insight. Thanks and cheers.
Carl, this is the best explanation of Page’s genius I’ve ever heard. Page is not only my favorite guitarist, he’s my musical hero. He does so many expressive and subtle things that makes all of Led Zep’s songs so memorable! His passion and creativity have created one tour de force after the next for a decade, in terms of playing, composing, producing and also as band leader and visionary for the whole Zeppelin mystique. Carl, can you do some segments on JP’s composition skills (maybe Over the Hills and Far away or Ten Years Gone, etc. - Stairway good too!) or production genius (When the Levee Breaks for example)? Keep it coming!!
Let’s add the Wanton Song - especially the “jazz” chords instrumental choruses! Plus the magic chords during the verse which not many people have worked out. It’s a add 13 (with no root)!… (F add 13 to F# add 13)…Voiced 5, 3, 13….it suggests the mother chords by implication are F7(13) and F#7(13).
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic sounds awesome. I love that song for so many reasons. That song also really highlights JP’s rhythm playing and unique interplay with John Bonham. Lots of space. Man, I could go on and on. Thanks Carl!
Dude your playing is so crisp and un sloppy !!! If that’s a word. When this video started and your were playing that solo, omg !!!! I’m very impressed !!!! Good job and thank you.
Oh Carl, I'm so happy to get to watch you share your deep knowledge and passion for this! So fun, I got to spend some time some time with you!!! Beautiful job!!!
👌 Bang on the money there champ! and thank you so much for your precision demonstration, personal insights and formal musical clarifications. I can't recall anyone ever analysing his highnesses work in such precise, technical, authoritative style. Pages "humour" inserted into said masterpiece solos is so obvious once highlighted. 😂 Page would watch your vids, chuckle quietly and say: "Wow, someones finally figured it all out". 5 stars to you Carl! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was waiting for someone to notice! I dialed it in. Clean tube amp (fender), Bognar Lagrange distortion pedal, Les Paul guitar. But the most important part of the signal chain is the link between the head, heart and fingers. That’s the point I’m trying to get across. I think that sound (his sound) comes from knowing what’s at the front end of his signal chain (the head and heart). When you personify the player and the song you really get the sound. Peace out, Carl
Wow you did this a year ago and I just found it tonight. I remember the first time I head this song on a record I played it like 10 times in a row, i was astounded! Easily my favorite Zep song. Love your breakdown. I love the groove of celebration day too!
Yes Carl ! I throughly Enjoyed your passion for explaining J.P.P. Your The Real Deal. Humble Pie, Compassionately Conscious, Enthusiastically Educated. Thank You. Keep on! You have done your Homework. An Exceptional Teacher. ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Thank you for your content. Thank you that you clear the case of Jimmy my favorite artist.. People nowadays forget about art and care about scales You have a very good taste in music, very rare on guitar players of the present and good taste in clothes something that goes hand in hand with art. An art that is completely forgotten... to dress up...Something that Jimmy is a master
Carl you make this so interesting to watch and listen to, bringing to us these gyms that you find and or interpreted from your knowledge of music. Thank you Sir!!!!
The deeper I dig into it - the the more genius of the channel is revealed and also, the better it gets(kinda like the solo); just an exceptional analysis of the human experience of the music making of Jimmy in 1969! Just great ! Many thanks for making this; I loved it. ✌️
Bravissimo!!! Best ever breakdown of the most iconic lead riff in rock history (IMHO)...I first heard Zeppelin I when my older brother bought it in early 1969, saw Zeppelin twice, in Pittsburgh in '73 and '75, saw Page again in L.A. at the Ronnie Lane ARMS benefit show, and, best of all, met Jimmy at his former residence in Windsor in 1999 while on a business trip to England (the stars were aligned!) via several "twists of fate"... The person who has reincarnated Page unlike anyone else on the planet is the "Japanese Jimmy Page", Mr. Jimmy Sakurai-san, who is the guitarist in Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening (which says much in itself)...Sakurai nails not only the tone and feel, but unbelievably, every motion of a Page live performance...not to mention his uncanny resemblance! I had the honour of meeting and becoming personal friends with Jimmy Sakurai-san, a very humble and wonderful person to boot. What really blows your mind about him is that you can name any Zeppelin show ever recorded and he can play that night's Page performance! Check him out if you've never heard of him!
Thank you! I used to think you had to “buy” your tone. Meaning, you have to buy all the same equipment that a particular guitarist used to get their tone. I’d invariably spend money trying to get each piece of the signal chain exactly the same. From guitars, to pickups, strings, picks, pedals, cables, amps, etc. But after years of playing in the best recording studios and watching world class studio musicians do sessions, I realized that equipment is not the most important part. The most important part of the signal chain is the very front of the chain: your head, heart and hands (fingers). That’s the essence of my videos. To take you deep into the mindset and personality of the player by analyzing what they’ve written and how they express themselves with each phrase and progression. For me, when I started to do that I started to capture the sound I was going for. I can get the Page sound on most any guitar because I’m trying to personify each phrase. I could play Ritchie Blackmore on a Les Paul (and not a strat) and get you close because it’s all in understanding his style and expression. For the record, I’m using a fender twin reverb amp and a Bognar LaGrange distortion pedal on these videos. I hope you like this insight! Peace, Carl
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic I enjoyed your analysis and playing a lot! I have admired Jimmy Page since I first heard him playing 'Livin' Lovin' Maid' on radio back in 1968-69 when I was 10-11 years old and that changed my life as for many others obviously. You really have succeeded to capture his sound and playing style very closely! Well done and I'm looking for more videos! Cheers from Estonia! Riho
i so totallyagree with your introduction to this epic solo.....because your views about and around it completely reflect my own experience in 69, when i first heard it and it has been with me ever since....it was (probably) the most likely reason for me to start playing the guitar, and over the last over 50 years i have "worked" this song and solo, as you did......and i have come to the same conclusions.....on both my telecaster and my LP....:-D
This is truly a definitive when I think of you getting the Led out. It's so great to see you back to roots and rockin' again. As you have said (and I paraphrase): 'Sometimes ya just gotta let your hair down and go for it'.
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic Sheralee said: "Has he always sported a man bun?" Me: "Yes, it goes over like a Lead Zeppelin in the conference room". Just amazing- Life has many seasons...
Wow. I'm blown away by your analysis of this solo. Thanks to your explanation/interpretation I'm now able to see it as a piece of art on it's own. I get to the impression that it resembles an argument between two persons, beginning by picking on each other with the "laughing" part, going forward to yelling at each other, until finally reaching reconciliation again. I can't imagine that this solo was an inpromptu thing, that it wasn't planfully "constructed" in advance - but that might be the thing that separates an artist from someone who learned how to play an instrument... Keep on the good work. I subscribed.
Amazing analysis of one of the greatest Zep songs of all time. So much going on that you don’t realize Page is doing. I’d love to have you “analyze” Achilles Last Stand”from their album “Presence”. That’s such a treat for the ears!!!
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic …😂😂😂. Yeah, I can imagine…always blows my mind when I listen to it…even in their live version of the song, Page sticks pretty much to what he did in the studio.
What a fantastic analysis. Thank you. I think Jimmy Page's passion is what set him apart from so many other guitar players. You touched on him being referred to as sloppy (and not agreeing) but I'll take a ton of sloppy over an ounce of precision when it is so imbued with that passion. He seemed to just go for it, and in doing so reached places that most don't. Apart from his brilliant lines, he had an incredible talent for finding the right sound, structure and tone to fit the song. I think 'Ten Years Gone' is the best example of that, but 'Heartbreaker' was just incredible, as you so brilliantly demonstrate here.
I loved that intro you did covering the song Heartbreaker. You nailed it ! That said, It is truly a complement to the master to hear the zest he so much inspired to all HIS fans that ROCK to Led Zeppelin. Everything I know about the Guitar is based on Jimmy Page. A huge fan since 1971. JR USA.
Your right about the middle solo that it was inserted later. I read Engineer Eddie Kramer had already finished up the song for the album. But later Page called him and said he had an idea to insert an unaccompanied piece between the break of the song. Kramer said Page went straight in without his usual guitar tech crew which explains the different tuning. He winged it in one take. It was all just in the moment. The rest is history!
Wow great analysis of Heartbreaker! Subbed! I look forward to your other Led Zep content I see on your channel. I see your comment about your joy of listening to WLL medley on How the West was Won! I agree, his live in improvisational playing style is like a tapestry. If you want to hear a brilliant live show like How to the West was Won, my personal favorite recorded concert if theirs, from start to finish, all amazing 3 hours and 40 minutes of it, with 4 encore songs, is Seattle, June 21st 1975. I will link whole show next if you have never heard this concert.
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic Hi Carl! Looking forward to your next review! Your content is great so far. Did you have a chance to listen to Seattle 75 link yet? You are in for a live concert treat on that one. 😊👍
A detailed analysis of Jimmy Page’s genius. Bends, callbacks, tensions and releases. I’ve been hooked on this song and this LZ2 album since I was a kid. Always my go to album from their epic collection of albums.
Thanks for the emotional educational of Page’s technique and zooming in on the craft involved in his riffs. I have to learn this for a Zep’ tribute set our band is covering. Thanks for a unique perspective!
Awesome analysis . Really well done Great insight on the guitar being tuned 50 cents flat during the solo ... I never knew that And excellent excellent advice on hearing the end note before you strike the string - Doing it while everything’s moving so fast and knowing what you’re trying to do and wanting to hear while playing rapid fire 16th triplets at 160bpm ... And more great stuff on the anticipation Pages timing and feel on shifting from minor to major is incredible - he does it in almost all of his playing Obviously songs like I can’t quit you and the lemon song it’s super obvious Even in melodic songs like the rain song he’s going in and out of major and minor very subtly Everything in his playing is call and response, minor and major, tension and release
I spent some quality time with Dad's vinyl copy of Led Zeppelin II when my parents were out. Amazing album. Your ideas about themes and phrasing all sound right on to me.
this is a fantastic breakdown. I especially love your reference to the amen cadence, because it would also suggest why he would often incorporate Bach's Bourrée at the end of the solo whenever they would play it live. its possible he was aware of what it did to the composition and when he would play it live, it further demonstrates his mastery of music theory and composition.
Carl, spectacular my friend. The depth and insight an intuitiveness you have is to the Moon. I was 14 when I saw "The Song Remains the Same" at the Ritz theater in Westwood. I missed them by like 2 days. Zeppelin were there during the debut of the movie in LA. I was then hooked on Zeppelin ,/Jimmy Page never have I seen anyone play like him or a band so tight, so powerful so amazing all of them. They all strive to be better and better all the time according to Jimmy Page. But the artistry and depth of how you teach is a very gifted talent you have. This instrument is deep within our souls it just amazing how you can express it so well ! Thank you very much for this video . I've learned a ton and will be continuing to do so.. Ive played for about 15 years and I own like gosh ten Gibson Les Pauls, it's all Jimmy Pages fault. :)) Thank you for your passion and you are willingness to teach all these tricks and amazing techniques that you've spent a lifetime learning . Thank you for your study and your brilliance and how amazing you are on a guitar . Thank you very much Carl, Brilliant!! See I ended it the way I started it right brother. :))) Tom Singer
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic thanks Carl appreciate the reply. I was a long winded . Lol. . Yeah I've been a Jimmy Page fanatic for 40 plus years for sure. Appreciate your passion, your amazing depth and study of the art. I'll definitely be learning from you my friend, thank you very much for openly sharing and teaching .
WOWZA! Just found you again via Collin Fitzpatrick on FB my old friend. Nobody knows how to talk about this stuff like you, and just the inspiration I need right now! Apologies on top of apologies for losing touch with you! but as the auspicious #300th "LIKE" here and now, is there perhaps room for "a return of the prodigal"?😆(Never underestimate the 'power of the return'- correct?). So wonderful to grock your perspective on classic greatness such as this. I'll never forget the moment my buddy dropped the needle on side B of Zep II- the sound completely engulfed me. And then, just a little later to see it brought to life at your hands in the 1979 context of ABRAXAS! Well, I had just simply not seen anything like it before, or possibly since...
Howdy Steve!! So nice to hear from you. How ironic that yet again our love of JP has relinked us! Would love to see the prodigal son if he returns! Peace and Love my brother!
Carl your are a master interpreter who really knows his stuff. I doubt anyone could explain this song like you. I really DON'T like the fact that so many pinheads think LL Maid MUST be played after Heartbreaker on rock radio. llm is not half the song as Heartbreaker. Thank you.
In the Fall of 1969 I was 17 years old. Through the coffee shop that was a hangout of mine at the time, I was friends with an older gentleman who was part of management at the now long defunct Camelot Music. He gave me a copy of a new release they'd just gotten in. It was "Led Zeppelin II". When Carl says in 1969 there'd never been anything like it he's not exaggerating. I'd never heard anything like it before. I played it for every friend I had. Over and over and over.
Yes, thank you, Carl. I thoroughly enjoyed your insights and your passion. You're a force of nature. I'm not a musician, so I can go only on what I feel when I hear a piece of music. How it moves me (if it does). You're giving me a technical insight in to why a "feel" the music. And Heartbreaker has never even been one of my favourite Led Zep songs, but that's not the point. I only mean to say that it's a reflection on the depth of the band's back catalogue. For me, what marks Page out from the others, is that every one of his solos is highly melodic. And every solo is different. Always something new and exciting. This is why he has been my favourite guitarist since about '73. It's his melody. Great stuff, Carl, and thanks again.
Thank you for the kind words. I’m studying the track “Thank You” and his studio solo is very melodic (diatonic). I hope you continue to enjoy my work and share with your friends. Peace, Carl
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic Wow! I can't wait to hear your presentation on Thank You, Carl. That's the solo on the acoustic guitar, and it has always been a favourite song of mine. Other favourite Led Zep songs, in terms of melody, are No Quarter (where two solos juxtapose slightly, the first being the clean sound, the second with distortion), The Rover (both the solo and the guitar outro), and Ten Years Gone. And also The Rain Song (albeit there's not much of a solo in there). I'm a new subscriber to your excellent channel and, yes, I am sharing with music-loving friends. Best wishes from England.
Carl, always enjoy your breakdowns (no pun intended). I'd love to see you break down Jimmy's main tricks in the studio, where I know a lot of his (album) sound came to be.
Thanks Tyler! I know where the notion comes from and there is ample evidence of that “sloppy” assertion. However, one needs to recognize the nuances of (1) is it a lack of technical execution vs. deliberate textures (ie Impressionism vs. realism/figuration in visual art). (2) live performance vs. studio (3) the degree of risk taking in improvising vs. pre structured parts and then the (4) obvious problem caused by “better living through chemistry” aka substance abuse. Which is a reality of him and countless other artists in the 70’s. We’re left with several of examples of that sloppiness unfortunately on record. But overall, those moments are dwarfed in proportion by the body of work that exists from his studio work which was frighteningly, technically extremely good. And from a live perspective, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a more immaculate performance than his performance during the blues medley during whole lotta love live on “how the west was won”. That several minute stretch has everything from Chet Atkins to Scotty Moore techniques flying by and are absolutely flawless. It’s very humbling. If you just tried to learn those bits that he improvised live you’d have a lifetime of technique. Check it out!
@@carlbaldassarre1569 i wonder if its partly due to his les paul being down to his knees.....i know my playing is a little "slopy" the lower down my les paul is slung Carl pls tell me the signal chain your using, ive been trying to get the page live sound and you have it spot on. I know alot of its in the hands but damn my friend i see a fender blackface in the background not a marshall, what pedals and pickups if you dont mind sharing id really like to know. Also your a great player in your own right, looking forward to more videos
Back in the 80s when I was in college and many years before the Internet, I tried to teach myself this song on guitar (especially the solos). The only tool at my disposal was a micro-cassette recorder that played/recorded at half speed if one wanted to slow the tape down. I recorded "Heartbreaker" from LZ2 at full speed and, with guitar in hand, played it back (over and over and over) at half speed to try to figure out all those notes! I got most of it figured out, but there were some phrases that I just couldn't be sure of, even at half speed. (At half speed, the notes were still the same except an octave lower.) These days it's always interesting for me to watch other guitarists share their thoughts and techniques on this song. Carl, you not only nailed the notes, but also the attitude and tone from your Les Paul. Great video!
Thank you! You know how hard it is! And even if you can get the notes it’s still more than that. It’s the expression and attitude, tone, moment and era. You have to consider all of that like a method actor to capture the character!
Hey Carl. The closet example to this happening before Heartbreaker, is maybe Scotty Moore's solo in Elvis' "Too Much". Theres about 10 seconds where Moore completely breaks from the main melody, even though theres still a bit of drums involved. But the idea is there. Where the song just completely stops for awhile, before picking up the beat again
![Led Zeppelin’s “The Lemon Song”- Guitar Lesson [Guitar Solo and Song Breakdown]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/upQSto15EIE/mqdefault.jpg)
![Led Zeppelin’s “The Lemon Song”- Guitar Lesson [Guitar Solo and Song Breakdown]](/img/tr.png)
![Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” - Guitar Lesson [Guitar Solo and Song Breakdown]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/W5PxxcIJfJU/mqdefault.jpg)
Wow - just wow. This is the most thoughtful and intelligent appreciation of Page's work I have ever heard. Just like you, I heard this music decades ago and it changed my life. I've been playing guitar for over 45 years, and Page is the reason I started playing, and he has influenced and informed all of my efforts to express myself on the guitar. All of your observations have exactly captured my feelings when I hear him play, I instinctively understand why it's so great, but I never heard someone else so elegantly explain it. And, by the way, you have really mastered the technique, tone, and feel in your playing, so congratulations on achieving such a high level of excellence in your career!
Thank you my friend! That’s such a generous response and I’m terribly gratified by it. But the fact that you identify so closely with it is the most rewarding aspect. Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts. Peace in abundance. Carl
I agree 100% with your comment. I’ve been playing over 30 years... since I saw the bow solo at midnight movies freshman year and realized my violin bows had a higher purpose than the violin I had been playing. I agree with Carl that it’s all about capturing the passion because Jimmy never played anything the same way twice anyway.
I AGREE
I agree 100%. JP and Zep have inspired me to TRY to play guitar for 40 years (and I still can’t do it 🙄😅). I’m a great critic and talent appreciation guy!
Thank you all for the support and dialogue. Love it!!
Been listening to their masterpieces for 52 yrs. They're incomparable. 👍
Totally agree!
I know right! Still nothing approaches it. As the decades roll on (and another Ten Years Gone), I at least take solace in all the new things I hear in this music I've been Grocking for most of my life.
indeed they are......:-D and always will be.....
Wow, what an incredible video. Jimmy Page is my favorite guitarist and Led Zeppelin is my favorite band, hearing their debut album when I was a kid changed my life and made me want to play guitar. You're much more eloquent than myself and I enjoyed every second of this video, I really hope you make more Zeppelin and Page content. You've more than earned my subscription.
Wow, right back to you! That’s so kind. I was absolutely transfixed with JP as a teenager. It was hard to explain. You seem to get it! Thank you!
The same story as yours, older sister was playing Zeppelin 2 in her room very loudly and me in my room thinking what the hell is this, I'd never heard anything like it, even after all these years that solo still sounds so spontaneous and in the moment...sheer brilliance.....
It’s hard to describe the experience we had as a contemporaneous event to the times. It sat in such high relief to what had come before...
God rest my late sisters soul. It transformed my life!!
The whole point of both the a cappella solo and the following solo is the use of “ light and shade”, dynamics , colors , feel and shape. Jimmy plays in colors and shapes. The first solo is a spontaneous note bending emotional angry “yell” as if Jimmy is saying something or responding. The 2nd solo is much “ neater” , flowing , very fast and playing with the band as if he was doing the opposite of the first solo. That’s dynamics. That’s how Jimmy and the band express themselves. Only a non musician would call it “sloppy” . And there are a lot of guitar players who don’t know how to “listen”.
Spot fucking on
Amazing! I’d love to hear more analysis on Jimmy Page’s works and Zeppelin in general. Keep it up!
Thank you. I’m enjoying digging in to it!
Yeah 2 minutes in I subscribed. Always loved listening to people who know what they're talkin about. You're the teacher I've been looking for, thank you my man.
That’s so awesome!! Thank you!
You're a natural in front of the camera. Loved the video and the insight you've given. Thank you.
Page’s composition is analogous to good storytelling...amazing analysis, now I have a whole new way of listening to the song..
I’m so grateful for this comment. That’s my goal, to illuminate a piece of music at a molecular and philosophical level to bring a listener joyful, new discoveries.
So true! Page has always been my #1 as an overall visionary creative mostly through the guitar, but certainly way beyond it.
This was the most articulate and insightful analysis I've ever seen of Heartbreaker and Jimmy Page's solo. In fact, it's the best analysis I've ever seen of any song. The work that is this analysis does justice to the work that is Heartbreaker. Thank you, Carl. I hope you'll keep producing more and more content on Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin. In particular, I'd love to see the video you reference about "Was Jimmy Page actually 'sloppy'?".
Hi Carl, can I get a tab arrangement of your heart breaker? I love that music too. I don't play that well but I just love it. Your brilliant! Thankyou so much.
Love your passion for Page, we’ve all been studying what he did for over 50 years, The stars aligned when Zeppelin came along and we’ll never see anything like it again, lightning in a bottle and Page was the driving force
Truly the stars aligned. Never to be again either!
Led Zeppelin hit a grand slam w this record...out of grade school into hi school. The stand alone pentatonic/ blues solo is always a surprise and your emotional/ artistic breakdown of it doesn't make it any less of a heartbreaker
I first heard Heartbreaker in 1969 or ‘70 as a freshman in high school. You summed it up perfectly.....my immediate reaction was the sound and imagery of a massive locomotive freight train roaring down the tracks. John Paul Jones fuzzed out bass lines pumping and pulsing the whole thing along leaving you breathless.
I’ve never heard the use of sequential and cumulative teaching applied so well to a musician/guitarist/composer. Brilliant. Thank you.
Paul Gilbert just posted a video comment about this solo and it was great. But I may say your playing here is clearly more accurate .and closer to Page's tone. than Paul"s.
That’s very kind. Paul Gilbert is such a super freak of nature. Just incredible facility. I can’t touch him in so many ways. I did see his heartbreaker post. It was rewarding to learn how his life as a guitar player went to the next level when someone showed him that part of the solo. The same think happened to me when I was a kid. I went to a pawn shop to buy my first electric guitar and I was longing to crack the code on the shred part of the solo. And as I was trying out guitars on the wall, I heard coming from behind me the solo shred lick being played. I turned around and saw this beautiful black dude shredding it and I just couldn’t believe my eyes and ears. And he showed me how to do that lick and my life changed on the spot. I went to the front of the store to pay for my new electric guitar and I asked the owner who the guy was in the back. And he said, “What guy, you’re the only one in the store…”. I ran back to get his name and he was gone. To this day I think it was an angel. I wanted it sooo bad that for a year I pleaded to God to help me figure out that lick. I’m not playing you, that’s a true story. Back to Paul Gilbert, I do actually agree that I nailed the phrasing, tone and color and really try to recreate and become one with Page. Paul sounded like Paul Gilbert. That’s a good thing though!! Thanks again for the comment!
Peace,
Carl
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic Yes! I'm quite a Paul Gilbert fan for so many reasons...
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic I think what’s really cool about Page and Zeppelin is that he and the band have inspired so many great musicians and phenomenal guitarists who’ve taken the instrument to incredible levels, and yet no one sounds exactly like Page, and Page always sounds like Page even when he played his stuff a different way every night. It’s kind of similar with Hendrix. Page and Hendrix (and VH too) played with such quirky individuality and personality they can’t be duplicated, yet you can hear the spirit of what’s being played by Paul Gilbert and Carl and other great players shining through. That’s rock DNA! That’s also why so many of us incompetent players and enthusiasts (referring to myself) love these bands; they play to your heart.
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic Love that story!👍
Carls really nails the tone and spirit, but still has his "own" vibe on it.....great stuff....
I'm so glad you added that F# on the D string and high D on the B string while playing a basic A chord on the 2nd fret at 15:00-15:01 because I've been playing that for years. I thought you misheard it OR like me played it SO many times it became normalized & you thought it was what you heard on the original recording(overdubs & imperfections notwithstanding, of course). Great examination/interpretation of a superb piece of music.
What a fantabulous idea! You are the man!
As you said so long ago: "I don't always understand what Ted's up to, but every time I see him he gets better". Well, I think you fully get it now brother! So great to see you hooking up here again with Ted, Al, and etc! TWO OF MY FAVORITE EUCLID ARTISTS BACK TOGETHER AGAIN...! (Now we need Steve Martin!!!)
Love your channel so much. Keep up the great work. Jimmy fans love this. ✌️❤️🇨🇦
Thank you for teaching us about this song and playing it, one of his best.
Can I just say how perfectly you played this particular phrase 8:51, the fast stuff is incredible, but that was exactly as it is on the record. Sometimes getting the simpler aspects right makes the performance!
Brilliant! You have also absolutely nailed his guitar tone! I’ve been listening to Zeppelin for almost 40 years and I feel like you’ve made sense and articulated why I love Jimmy Page and his technique.
So glad to know how much you like the video. Check out the other episodes!!
Page was ALL about emotion more so than technical perfection. Killer tone & analysis and your playing is fantastic! The second Heartbreaker solo is my favorite Zeppelin passage ever!
Thank you sir!!
‘Frolic’ is probably the best description of Jimmy Pages playing I’ve heard. What a great video, thank you!
So at the age of 13 I moved from flat Dallas Texas to Anchorage Alaska because my dad took a job there. I remember driving in the mountains for the first time up in the clouds with my mind blown by the beauty of the mountains all while listening to Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti on my brothers 8 track in his 1965 Mustang. Those sites and sounds changed my life forever and I have been a guitar player and lover of Jimmy Page ever since. Great job with this video brother, you nailed Page from all angles.
Love all your Zep videos! I've been a Page fan since a kid. Jimmy's overall fluidity with double stops, open chords, creative voicings, target notes, slurring, scraping, bending... and loose attitude is unparalleled. It's true what you're getting at. He wasn't just playing by muscle memory. He was hearing it and then... playing it. To me, it's like he combined all of the 50's rock and blues icons in one giant canvas. (Oh... and then there was the Indian/Celtic palette). Just an unreal musician. Can't imagine how boring our lives would have been without him. Appreciate your work here. It's a delight to watch.
you explained to me why I like Page, thank you
My pleasure! Thank you for the like!
Very interesting. This guy has done a lot of studying of Page, and brings to light some aspect of Led Zeppelin's tunes that many people may not hear in the background until pointed out. Thanks for doing this video.
I’m so glad you appreciate it! Thank you
Man, I am so fortunate I came across this videos. WOW ! Now following. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and insights. Really enjoyable !
Thank you soooo much!
Brilliant! You always read comments about how sloppy this solo is but you explain it perfectly about how he's building and building the tension before something has to give. And when you take the lyrics into account, the recklessness in the solo makes perfect sense.
"It's the way you call me by another guy's name when I try to make love to you"No way in the world does that call for a nice, cute, perfectly played solo! Jimmy brought out the frustration and angst that the storyteller was trying to get across.
Thank you for the comment and for your support!!
I could literally spend hours watching these videos... no joke! Pure gold!!! In fact, these should be part of those Mater Class series! :)
That’s high praise! I sure put my entire life and soul into these!
He was a Master of Nuances. His Staccato variations, and accentuations, are so brilliantly woven in, the Live Improvisations He does are Blues/Rock Masterpieces.
I have a similar story to yours, "older brother" I'm 58, so we got to see "Song Remains The Same". For Me it was stunning guitar work. Love this Song, Love Your Cover. YESSONGS
“Master of nuances!” Amen to that. You sooo get it!! I’m blown away by the subtleties of his expression and I dare say, his technique. He is the Renoir of guitar!
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic Yes, I've always said to the (Sloppy Page faction): think of it as Impressionism (Monet, Cezanne, Cassatt, Van Gogh, and maybe a little Cubism diced in (especially live).
You just met a friend of mine that pointed you in my direction. I'm extremely impressed and frankly mind blown by your views on music.
I'm grateful Billy introduced me to you. And I've gotta say...your a gift to anyone that loves and wants to appreciate the history of music.
Thanks
That’s so sweet. Are we talking about Reverend Billy Brock? He’s a great young man!! I hope you and I can meet someday! Thank you for the kind words.
This is a wonderful explanation and lesson for The Zepp’s Heart breaker guitar work, which I like best out of all the Zepp songs !
This song’s guitar riff made me to decide to play guitar and get a Les Paul !
Thank you so much Carl !
I will keep practicing this guitar work!
I love how you show your facial expressions as you play it. It shows you are feeling it.
Thank you!!! Frankly it’s not a conscious thing, I couldn’t prevent it of my life depended on it!!
Your intro reminds me of my experience way back in the late sixties when I was 3 years old when I saw a church band, I noticed their electric guitars and their orange amps. I fell in love with the electric guitar on that Memorial Day.
Shredders saying Page was sloppy is like a Zerox calling Van Gogh insane...... Great critical analysis on this. I focused on critiquing literature in school and developed an appreciation. So cool to see this applied to music I'm passionate about. Nice work, and not only fully agree, but I gained new insight. Thanks and cheers.
Carl, this is the best explanation of Page’s genius I’ve ever heard. Page is not only my favorite guitarist, he’s my musical hero. He does so many expressive and subtle things that makes all of Led Zep’s songs so memorable! His passion and creativity have created one tour de force after the next for a decade, in terms of playing, composing, producing and also as band leader and visionary for the whole Zeppelin mystique. Carl, can you do some segments on JP’s composition skills (maybe Over the Hills and Far away or Ten Years Gone, etc. - Stairway good too!) or production genius (When the Levee Breaks for example)? Keep it coming!!
Let’s add the Wanton Song - especially the “jazz” chords instrumental choruses! Plus the magic chords during the verse which not many people have worked out. It’s a add 13 (with no root)!… (F add 13 to F# add 13)…Voiced 5, 3, 13….it suggests the mother chords by implication are F7(13) and F#7(13).
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic sounds awesome. I love that song for so many reasons. That song also really highlights JP’s rhythm playing and unique interplay with John Bonham. Lots of space. Man, I could go on and on. Thanks Carl!
The riff is devilishly hard to play correctly. The alternating octave 16th notes with string skipping is difficult to execute cleanly.
Superb and incredibly insightful discussion.
You know the truth when you hear it, thanks Carl. The longer I play guitar the more I appreciate how great Jimmy was / is.
I REALLY need to finally put in the work and learn this solo. GREAT VIDEO!
The tone of your setup is spot on. Sounds just like the record.
Superb educator! Beautiful use of metaphors and visual expressions. Wonderful. Thx.
Those are kind words! I really appreciate it!!
Dude your playing is so crisp and un sloppy !!! If that’s a word. When this video started and your were playing that solo, omg !!!! I’m very impressed !!!! Good job and thank you.
I like the way you teach. I’m primarily an by ear player in many ways, and your presentation was very easy to follow. Kudos
Oh Carl, I'm so happy to get to watch you share your deep knowledge and passion for this! So fun, I got to spend some time some time with you!!! Beautiful job!!!
Thank you so much for watching!! I’m glad you approve!! Peace my friend.
👌 Bang on the money there champ! and thank you so much for your precision demonstration, personal insights and formal musical clarifications. I can't recall anyone ever analysing his highnesses work in such precise, technical, authoritative style. Pages "humour" inserted into said masterpiece solos is so obvious once highlighted. 😂 Page would watch your vids, chuckle quietly and say: "Wow, someones finally figured it all out". 5 stars to you Carl! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
youve really captured his tone on this!
I was waiting for someone to notice! I dialed it in. Clean tube amp (fender), Bognar Lagrange distortion pedal, Les Paul guitar. But the most important part of the signal chain is the link between the head, heart and fingers. That’s the point I’m trying to get across. I think that sound (his sound) comes from knowing what’s at the front end of his signal chain (the head and heart). When you personify the player and the song you really get the sound. Peace out, Carl
I could listen to you play all day long. Thanks for making the effort.
Thank you! You’re welcome!
Amazing, the depth of your analysis/examination is fascinating! Super well done,
Wow you did this a year ago and I just found it tonight. I remember the first time I head this song on a record I played it like 10 times in a row, i was astounded! Easily my favorite Zep song. Love your breakdown. I love the groove of celebration day too!
When I seen the title I thought, I wonder if he’ll break down the solo. First 15 seconds - THE SOLO 🙌
I love it when the customer gets what they want!!
Yes Carl ! I throughly Enjoyed your passion for explaining J.P.P. Your The Real Deal. Humble Pie, Compassionately Conscious, Enthusiastically Educated.
Thank You. Keep on! You have done your Homework. An Exceptional Teacher. ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Thank you so much for the kind words. I’m grateful you appreciate my work! Peace, Carl
Love this guys perspective and interpretation of Jimmy's playing. really loved it. Thanks
Thank you so much. I hope subscribe and share!
Thank you for your content. Thank you that you clear the case of Jimmy my favorite artist.. People nowadays forget about art and care about scales You have a very good taste in music, very rare on guitar players of the present and good taste in clothes something that goes hand in hand with art. An art that is completely forgotten... to dress up...Something that Jimmy is a master
I appreciate that you notice the connection between the art and the style!! Thank you!
Carl you make this so interesting to watch and listen to, bringing to us these gyms that you find and or interpreted from your knowledge of music. Thank you Sir!!!!
Thank you!!
The deeper I dig into it - the the more genius of the channel is revealed and also, the better it gets(kinda like the solo); just an exceptional analysis of the human experience of the music making of Jimmy in 1969! Just great ! Many thanks for making this; I loved it. ✌️
Thank you!
Bravissimo!!! Best ever breakdown of the most iconic lead riff in rock history (IMHO)...I first heard Zeppelin I when my older brother bought it in early 1969, saw Zeppelin twice, in Pittsburgh in '73 and '75, saw Page again in L.A. at the Ronnie Lane ARMS benefit show, and, best of all, met Jimmy at his former residence in Windsor in 1999 while on a business trip to England (the stars were aligned!) via several "twists of fate"...
The person who has reincarnated Page unlike anyone else on the planet is the "Japanese Jimmy Page", Mr. Jimmy Sakurai-san, who is the guitarist in Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening (which says much in itself)...Sakurai nails not only the tone and feel, but unbelievably, every motion of a Page live performance...not to mention his uncanny resemblance! I had the honour of meeting and becoming personal friends with Jimmy Sakurai-san, a very humble and wonderful person to boot. What really blows your mind about him is that you can name any Zeppelin show ever recorded and he can play that night's Page performance! Check him out if you've never heard of him!
You’ve got his sound down pat, amazing!
Thank you! I used to think you had to “buy” your tone. Meaning, you have to buy all the same equipment that a particular guitarist used to get their tone. I’d invariably spend money trying to get each piece of the signal chain exactly the same. From guitars, to pickups, strings, picks, pedals, cables, amps, etc. But after years of playing in the best recording studios and watching world class studio musicians do sessions, I realized that equipment is not the most important part. The most important part of the signal chain is the very front of the chain: your head, heart and hands (fingers). That’s the essence of my videos. To take you deep into the mindset and personality of the player by analyzing what they’ve written and how they express themselves with each phrase and progression. For me, when I started to do that I started to capture the sound I was going for. I can get the Page sound on most any guitar because I’m trying to personify each phrase. I could play Ritchie Blackmore on a Les Paul (and not a strat) and get you close because it’s all in understanding his style and expression. For the record, I’m using a fender twin reverb amp and a Bognar LaGrange distortion pedal on these videos. I hope you like this insight! Peace, Carl
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic I enjoyed your analysis and playing a lot! I have admired Jimmy Page since I first heard him playing 'Livin' Lovin' Maid' on radio back in 1968-69 when I was 10-11 years old and that changed my life as for many others obviously. You really have succeeded to capture his sound and playing style very closely! Well done and I'm looking for more videos! Cheers from Estonia! Riho
A great analysis and playing by you. Just a marvelous video; one of the best I've seen.
Fantastic analysis! I think you hit it when you said it's about the passion, but you said a lot more than that. Thank you!
i so totallyagree with your introduction to this epic solo.....because your views about and around it completely reflect my own experience in 69, when i first heard it and it has been with me ever since....it was (probably) the most likely reason for me to start playing the guitar, and over the last over 50 years i have "worked" this song and solo, as you did......and i have come to the same conclusions.....on both my telecaster and my LP....:-D
Simply Awesome....thanks for sharing
Thanks for making this fresh and new. It's like the only Led Zeppelin song the radio stations know
A honest man, trying to help us all. Thanks fro
Thank you
This is truly a definitive when I think of you getting the Led out. It's so great to see you back to roots and rockin' again. As you have said (and I paraphrase): 'Sometimes ya just gotta let your hair down and go for it'.
Does a man bun count?
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic Sheralee said: "Has he always sported a man bun?" Me: "Yes, it goes over like a Lead Zeppelin in the conference room". Just amazing- Life has many seasons...
Wow. I'm blown away by your analysis of this solo. Thanks to your explanation/interpretation I'm now able to see it as a piece of art on it's own. I get to the impression that it resembles an argument between two persons, beginning by picking on each other with the "laughing" part, going forward to yelling at each other, until finally reaching reconciliation again. I can't imagine that this solo was an inpromptu thing, that it wasn't planfully "constructed" in advance - but that might be the thing that separates an artist from someone who learned how to play an instrument...
Keep on the good work. I subscribed.
Yes really enjoyed this presentation.
Thank you!!
Amazing analysis of one of the greatest Zep songs of all time. So much going on that you don’t realize Page is doing. I’d love to have you “analyze” Achilles Last Stand”from their album “Presence”. That’s such a treat for the ears!!!
That’s like Everest! Eventually, I must scale!!
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic …😂😂😂. Yeah, I can imagine…always blows my mind when I listen to it…even in their live version of the song, Page sticks pretty much to what he did in the studio.
What a fantastic analysis. Thank you. I think Jimmy Page's passion is what set him apart from so many other guitar players. You touched on him being referred to as sloppy (and not agreeing) but I'll take a ton of sloppy over an ounce of precision when it is so imbued with that passion. He seemed to just go for it, and in doing so reached places that most don't. Apart from his brilliant lines, he had an incredible talent for finding the right sound, structure and tone to fit the song. I think 'Ten Years Gone' is the best example of that, but 'Heartbreaker' was just incredible, as you so brilliantly demonstrate here.
I loved that intro you did covering the song Heartbreaker. You nailed it ! That said, It is truly a complement to the master to hear the zest he so much inspired to all HIS fans that ROCK to Led Zeppelin. Everything I know about the Guitar is based on Jimmy Page. A huge fan since 1971. JR USA.
A brilliant and perfect explanation that comes from a true passion and musical intelligence. just awesome!👏👏👏
Thank you!
Your right about the middle solo that it was inserted later. I read Engineer Eddie Kramer had already finished up the song for the album. But later Page called him and said he had an idea to insert an unaccompanied piece between the break of the song. Kramer said Page went straight in without his usual guitar tech crew which explains the different tuning. He winged it in one take. It was all just in the moment. The rest is history!
History in deed. It was the beginning of my delinquency when I first heard it at 12 years old!
Wow great analysis of Heartbreaker! Subbed! I look forward to your other Led Zep content I see on your channel. I see your comment about your joy of listening to WLL medley on How the West was Won! I agree, his live in improvisational playing style is like a tapestry. If you want to hear a brilliant live show like How to the West was Won, my personal favorite recorded concert if theirs, from start to finish, all amazing 3 hours and 40 minutes of it, with 4 encore songs, is Seattle, June 21st 1975. I will link whole show next if you have never heard this concert.
Here is the link th-cam.com/video/X_eGwe5w0AY/w-d-xo.html
Thank you. I’ll check it out!!!!!!
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic Hi Carl! Looking forward to your next review! Your content is great so far. Did you have a chance to listen to Seattle 75 link yet? You are in for a live concert treat on that one. 😊👍
A detailed analysis of Jimmy Page’s genius. Bends, callbacks, tensions and releases. I’ve been hooked on this song and this LZ2 album since I was a kid. Always my go to album from their epic collection of albums.
Thanks for the emotional educational of Page’s technique and zooming in on the craft involved in his riffs. I have to learn this for a Zep’ tribute set our band is covering. Thanks for a unique perspective!
Thank you so much!
Thank you. You’re saying what I’ve been trying to say about Jimmy for years.
Awesome analysis . Really well done
Great insight on the guitar being tuned 50 cents flat during the solo ... I never knew that
And excellent excellent advice on hearing the end note before you strike the string -
Doing it while everything’s moving so fast and knowing what you’re trying to do and wanting to hear while playing rapid fire 16th triplets at 160bpm ...
And more great stuff on the anticipation
Pages timing and feel on shifting from minor to major is incredible - he does it in almost all of his playing
Obviously songs like I can’t quit you and the lemon song it’s super obvious
Even in melodic songs like the rain song he’s going in and out of major and minor very subtly
Everything in his playing is call and response, minor and major, tension and release
I’m so glad you liked. I’ll do the lemon song! It’s so great!
Yes, that effective mixing of minor and major pentatonic is something that has to be well earned.
Jimmy Page is the Beethoven of Rock n Roll! Great video, and the playing is superb!
I spent some quality time with Dad's vinyl copy of Led Zeppelin II when my parents were out. Amazing album. Your ideas about themes and phrasing all sound right on to me.
this is a fantastic breakdown. I especially love your reference to the amen cadence, because it would also suggest why he would often incorporate Bach's Bourrée at the end of the solo whenever they would play it live. its possible he was aware of what it did to the composition and when he would play it live, it further demonstrates his mastery of music theory and composition.
this guy GETS it
this is 1000% beyond other discussions of this tune...he gets it
This, right here…how the flow,passion, feeling comes through in all parts of this. THANK YOU
Wtf!! That’s absolutely amazing. Rock on
Carl, spectacular my friend. The depth and insight an intuitiveness you have is to the Moon. I was 14 when I saw "The Song Remains the Same" at the Ritz theater in Westwood. I missed them by like 2 days. Zeppelin were there during the debut of the movie in LA. I was then hooked on Zeppelin ,/Jimmy Page never have I seen anyone play like him or a band so tight, so powerful so amazing all of them. They all strive to be better and better all the time according to Jimmy Page. But the artistry and depth of how you teach is a very gifted talent you have. This instrument is deep within our souls it just amazing how you can express it so well ! Thank you very much for this video . I've learned a ton and will be continuing to do so.. Ive played for about 15 years and I own like gosh ten Gibson Les Pauls, it's all Jimmy Pages fault. :)) Thank you for your passion and you are willingness to teach all these tricks and amazing techniques that you've spent a lifetime learning . Thank you for your study and your brilliance and how amazing you are on a guitar . Thank you very much Carl, Brilliant!! See I ended it the way I started it right brother. :)))
Tom Singer
Thank you for the kind words and for sharing your experience!
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic thanks Carl appreciate the reply. I was a long winded . Lol. . Yeah I've been a Jimmy Page fanatic for 40 plus years for sure. Appreciate your passion, your amazing depth and study of the art. I'll definitely be learning from you my friend, thank you very much for openly sharing and teaching .
WOWZA! Just found you again via Collin Fitzpatrick on FB my old friend. Nobody knows how to talk about this stuff like you, and just the inspiration I need right now! Apologies on top of apologies for losing touch with you! but as the auspicious #300th "LIKE" here and now, is there perhaps room for "a return of the prodigal"?😆(Never underestimate the 'power of the return'- correct?). So wonderful to grock your perspective on classic greatness such as this. I'll never forget the moment my buddy dropped the needle on side B of Zep II- the sound completely engulfed me. And then, just a little later to see it brought to life at your hands in the 1979 context of ABRAXAS! Well, I had just simply not seen anything like it before, or possibly since...
Howdy Steve!! So nice to hear from you. How ironic that yet again our love of JP has relinked us! Would love to see the prodigal son if he returns! Peace and Love my brother!
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic Getting all calendar'ed up from your websites. Gonna try real hard to get up there for a show...maybe as early as August...
Thanks Carl for the vid !
The sound is incredible + your approach going in depth is eye opening !
Continue the great work !
Thank you!!!
Incredible in every way. Thank you Carl for your teachings and keen insight.
You’re so welcome! Thank you for watching. I hope you’re still following my channel?!
A really cool breakdown in the mind of Jimmy Page!
Carl your are a master interpreter who really knows his stuff. I doubt anyone could explain this song like you. I really DON'T like the fact that so many pinheads think LL Maid MUST be played after Heartbreaker on rock radio. llm is not half the song as Heartbreaker. Thank you.
Thank you!
Thank you for this. I was raised on Zep, though they're not of my era, and really enjoy seeing your quiet enthusiasm. I see a kindred spirit. ☺️
In the Fall of 1969 I was 17 years old. Through the coffee shop that was a hangout of mine at the time, I was friends with an older gentleman who was part of management at the now long defunct Camelot Music. He gave me a copy of a new release they'd just gotten in. It was "Led Zeppelin II". When Carl says in 1969 there'd never been anything like it he's not exaggerating. I'd never heard anything like it before. I played it for every friend I had. Over and over and over.
Thanks Carl. My world changing guitar moment is Day Tripper when I was 10 in '73.
Yes, thank you, Carl. I thoroughly enjoyed your insights and your passion. You're a force of nature. I'm not a musician, so I can go only on what I feel when I hear a piece of music. How it moves me (if it does). You're giving me a technical insight in to why a "feel" the music. And Heartbreaker has never even been one of my favourite Led Zep songs, but that's not the point. I only mean to say that it's a reflection on the depth of the band's back catalogue. For me, what marks Page out from the others, is that every one of his solos is highly melodic. And every solo is different. Always something new and exciting. This is why he has been my favourite guitarist since about '73. It's his melody. Great stuff, Carl, and thanks again.
Thank you for the kind words. I’m studying the track “Thank You” and his studio solo is very melodic (diatonic). I hope you continue to enjoy my work and share with your friends. Peace, Carl
@@CarlBaldassarreMusic Wow! I can't wait to hear your presentation on Thank You, Carl. That's the solo on the acoustic guitar, and it has always been a favourite song of mine. Other favourite Led Zep songs, in terms of melody, are No Quarter (where two solos juxtapose slightly, the first being the clean sound, the second with distortion), The Rover (both the solo and the guitar outro), and Ten Years Gone. And also The Rain Song (albeit there's not much of a solo in there).
I'm a new subscriber to your excellent channel and, yes, I am sharing with music-loving friends. Best wishes from England.
Those are some great tracks you mentioned!! I’m picking up your vibe brother!
@@tonyanderton3521 Wow Tony, you pretty much named all my definitive Page solos here.
@@stevenjones6780 Cheers, Steve. Thanks for that. No doubt I've missed some out but I just wanted to pick out a few. Best wishes.
Carl, always enjoy your breakdowns (no pun intended). I'd love to see you break down Jimmy's main tricks in the studio, where I know a lot of his (album) sound came to be.
Really enjoyed this video. Looking forward to the “Jimmy Page: Sloppy or Not?” video!
Thanks Tyler! I know where the notion comes from and there is ample evidence of that “sloppy” assertion. However, one needs to recognize the nuances of (1) is it a lack of technical execution vs. deliberate textures (ie Impressionism vs. realism/figuration in visual art). (2) live performance vs. studio (3) the degree of risk taking in improvising vs. pre structured parts and then the (4) obvious problem caused by “better living through chemistry” aka substance abuse. Which is a reality of him and countless other artists in the 70’s. We’re left with several of examples of that sloppiness unfortunately on record. But overall, those moments are dwarfed in proportion by the body of work that exists from his studio work which was frighteningly, technically extremely good. And from a live perspective, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a more immaculate performance than his performance during the blues medley during whole lotta love live on “how the west was won”. That several minute stretch has everything from Chet Atkins to Scotty Moore techniques flying by and are absolutely flawless. It’s very humbling. If you just tried to learn those bits that he improvised live you’d have a lifetime of technique. Check it out!
If youre really play the instrument and serious about it you would know that he is and its his intentions. Zep has to sound only like that
@@carlbaldassarre1569 I'll definitely check it out. Thanks for the recommendation!
@@carlbaldassarre1569 i wonder if its partly due to his les paul being down to his knees.....i know my playing is a little "slopy" the lower down my les paul is slung
Carl pls tell me the signal chain your using, ive been trying to get the page live sound and you have it spot on. I know alot of its in the hands but damn my friend i see a fender blackface in the background not a marshall, what pedals and pickups if you dont mind sharing id really like to know. Also your a great player in your own right, looking forward to more videos
Back in the 80s when I was in college and many years before the Internet, I tried to teach myself this song on guitar (especially the solos). The only tool at my disposal was a micro-cassette recorder that played/recorded at half speed if one wanted to slow the tape down. I recorded "Heartbreaker" from LZ2 at full speed and, with guitar in hand, played it back (over and over and over) at half speed to try to figure out all those notes! I got most of it figured out, but there were some phrases that I just couldn't be sure of, even at half speed. (At half speed, the notes were still the same except an octave lower.) These days it's always interesting for me to watch other guitarists share their thoughts and techniques on this song. Carl, you not only nailed the notes, but also the attitude and tone from your Les Paul. Great video!
Thank you! You know how hard it is! And even if you can get the notes it’s still more than that. It’s the expression and attitude, tone, moment and era. You have to consider all of that like a method actor to capture the character!
Finally, somebody who gets it.
Interesting and accurate
Outstanding! Keep them coming
With your encouragement, I will!!!
Great analysis Carl. I enjoyed this insight. I've been working on this one since about 1984 but you have a lot of layers there. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it
Hey Carl. The closet example to this happening before Heartbreaker, is maybe Scotty Moore's solo in Elvis' "Too Much". Theres about 10 seconds where Moore completely breaks from the main melody, even though theres still a bit of drums involved. But the idea is there. Where the song just completely stops for awhile, before picking up the beat again